Over the Garden Wall
by sweetmisgivings
Summary: Law is the young son of the noble Don Quixote who has never seen over the protective walls of the mansion's garden. Kid is just another stray hoodlum in the city with no money to his name, and he makes the mistake of stealing from the richest noble in the city. What he steals isn't a jewel, but a priceless object that's never meant to be tainted. Of course, being Kid, he corrupts.
1. Prelude

There once was a boy who lived inside the garden walls. He knew not of what was outside as he was forbidden to go past those vine covered bricks, but what he did know was that beyond the always blue sky, beyond the perfect Eden of lush grass sprouting the most beautiful of roses and all the servants he could ever want – there lay a whole different world. There was something else, and it was tangible but yet went beyond his wildest dreams. Such a mysterious enigma unsettled the boy's needs as he constantly wondered what it would be like to climb over his cage. To grab one of those long, parasitic vines and hopping over the wall was all he could think about. Over time, and out of his own notice, the boy's dream slowly became a wish. Then, that wish turned into determination.

It wasn't that he didn't have the courage to climb over the wall. If it was only pure guts that was required to break through the Eden's protective barrier, then the boy had enough of that. No, the boy certainly wanted it enough. What was holding him was something much deadlier than a long expanse of cement and earth.

Every day, he had to answer to a man who claimed to love him. While the boy was lost in the concept of what love exactly meant, he went through the motions of looking at his reflection formed from the dark shades perched on the man's nose and mimicked the three words with an added touch.

" _I love you, too."_

The phrase was the only thing expected to flow from his mouth, and nothing else. Especially not inquisitive prodding about what was outside.

He was forbidden to say such curious thoughts aloud by the man with the most dangerous smile – a smile to which a simple twitch of those thin lips meant death. Though, for his keeper, death was a mercy. Those who were on the receiving end of the devilish expression would rather prefer a quick end to their lives than the cruel torture the man could conjure in his sick, twisted mind.

Despite this little hush hush secret that no one dared mutter a word about, everything was perfect. All the little toys that served the pristine white mansion inside the garden walls served with religious duty and did as they were commanded. They kept everything sparkling clean so that the glass windows sparkled under the sun's rays, the tiled floors were always smooth without grime, and not a speck of dust was inhaled to elicit a sneeze.

Many rooms filled the humungous household with all anyone could think of. Beautiful antiques, books of the oldest times – every single classic was provided with at least two copies – and instruments of every kind. All was provided and served to the small boy, and all he had to do was be good and please the yellow haired man who owned his whole world.

Trafalgar Law, a thin boy of the age of ten was considered a genius and was treated like a treasure. The toys who wandered the mansion halls all called him as their master's son, but it didn't take a lot of thinking to know that the title was missing. Yes, the man always called him a treasure, but he had figured out long ago that he was just another antique that fit on one of the man's shelves next to all the exotic items the blonde accumulated.

Sometimes he wondered what it all meant, but not even the wind up soldier that hid under his bed, the oldest servant that Law knew, would tell him of the bigger secret that was sealed inside the mansion.

Frustrated that he always had to forsake his need for answers as no one would risk breaking the unspoken rule instilled by centuries of fear, Law tried to focus his attention to the rooms of the mansion in order to forget his anger. Every room was different and there were so many. Some were libraries, some were musical rooms which housed multiple kinds of instruments, and some were aquariums or zoos. He thought that it would distract him long enough so his mind didn't wander, but he very quickly went through every book he could find and reread them to the extent that he could recite pages from the top of his head, learned every musical piece of his favorite musicians, and explored every single inch of the mansion that he knew every single secret passageway to get from one place to another.

The servants deemed him a prodigy, but since Law had no one to compare to, the compliment didn't mean much.

Boredom became a common thing for him soon after he explored through every room, but there was one activity that he always went back to. Other than serving his pass time scaring servants by showing up out of thin air by using the secret tunnels laced behind the mansion walls, every soul that lived inside the garden walls knew that the young master spent many of his time in the zoo's basement. It became that whenever someone was looking for him, they knew to go there.

Boredom often drives even the sanest of people into a state of odd curiosity, or more correctly – madness – just to escape its clutches. The young Trafalgar Law, after seeing a shark shred another fish into bloody chunks at the other side of the aquarium mirror, grew an interest in anatomy and how living flesh worked. Having all the time in the world and endless specimens he could ever ask for, Law learned the skills of the blade and the sight of an operating table. His father was only too happy to provide for a fully equipped lab once he learned that his son had taken up a hobby.

Once, Law had decided to test his theory of developing a new creature. He had gotten a lion, a dog, and a bear from one of their zoos, and presented his work during dinner to his father. The servants pulled it in the dining room through a wheeled, steel cage and unveiled the white sheet covering the experiment once Law explained his reasons for holing himself up in the lab for two weeks.

Never had he seen his father so proud.

Another trophy was thrown into the blonde's collection, and Law named it, "Bepo."

Now, he knew it was cruel to have created the mutant, but the boy never stopped. Nature never intended to bear such an odd thing that Bepo was, but ceasing his pursuit of knowledge about life was not something he was willing to give up. Especially when he only just started.

Sometimes, Law thought that he was just like him – his father, he means. The way the man laughed so hard, Law thought the mad glint in his eyes whenever he was operating on the table was just about the same level of crazy. After the creation of Bepo, the servants seemed to have taken a distance from him and only spoke in a polite, curt manner. Before, their voices held some hints of fondness, as if they felt for him for being trapped in the same prison they were in. But now, after he had meddled with the flesh of living creatures, they look at him like a tainted piece of cloth. They speak to him like they do with his father.

Law didn't mind so much. The servants left him alone, and only his creature that he made stayed by his side.

Despite Bepo's gruesome origin, the white mass of fur was a docile being and clung to him like a cub would to its mother. Law didn't know what to make of the affection, but he didn't protest when Bepo snuggled beside him when he sat under an oak tree atop one of the high hills of their garden. The creature's fur provided warmth on breezy days so it was certainly accommodating and useful. Not to mention, the silken fur was incredibly soft. If it was one thing that the boy had a weak spot for, it was for things that were amazingly soft so Bepo continued to live by his side. He had the bear pampered and taken care of even more than the many pets that he had at the zoo.

In all honesty, Law didn't intend for Bepo to turn out to be such a teddy bear. If the creature was still enough, it could be mistaken as a harmless toy. A pang of disappointment still simmered inside of him whenever his eyes caught the razor sharp claws he had equipped the creature with in order to maul. The sharp nose was meant to track prey like a beast, the pointed teeth were meant to tear muscles from bone and skin, its size was meant to overpower, its ears were meant to pick up the slightest of sound so it couldn't be caught off guard – it was meant to be a beast and first of its kind, but Law had gone wrong somewhere in Bepo's recipe and ended up with a cuddling, licking, and playful fuzz ball.

Though Law didn't regret his mistake, he did continue his experiments to further his research into achieving more accurate beasts. In particular, he wanted wild ones. He didn't allow for Bepo to come into his lab as he was too sensitive, though he was sure the mutant knew what exactly went on behind his cold, metal doors. If the bear protested his hobby, it didn't make its opinions known.

A year went on like this, Law cutting pieces of different animals and stitching them together, and his father maintaining his steady stream of supply. The man even went on to introduce Law into other new species that Law didn't know existed in order to spice up his creations.

"Too much dog," the blonde had commented.

He needed to vary his selections. Law was surprised to learn that their many holdings didn't contain all the know animals in existence, but then again, he didn't know how big the Earth really was. From winged critters to slippery amphibians with six eyes, living oddities kept flowing in and out of the mansion. It was a norm to hear oddly pitched screeching and assume that it was just another creature that the head of the house brought in.

That's why, when Law heard screaming that he had never heard before while he was exiting his lab, he had concluded that his father had brought him another animal. Odd, since the man just brought him a fresh batch of whales yesterday. The servants were barely finishing putting all of them in their tank. Forgoing getting himself cleaned up, Law let his curiosity win over and followed the yells of his bear-lion-dog that directed to the nearby greenhouse. Intrigued by Bepo's reaction as he had never growled like that before, it almost seemed aggressive, Law quickened his pace and strode to the East side of the glass building that stood next to the garden's walls.

"Shut up, you stupid bear!"

Law almost paused in his steps as the resounding clarity of speech was unmatched from any creature his father had dragged in. There were those beautiful blue parrots, but their level of enunciation was nothing like what he just heard. His heart started beating in excitement. Maybe he'll use this creature as the main body this time? What an interesting creation it would be for it to talk! Maybe he could teach it to speak different languages? For it to sing?

Law slowed and peeked his head when he turned the corner. His eyes grew when he found the scene of his white-furred pet crouched on all fours and glaring – actually glaring – at this two legged creature like it was a hostile. The usually sweet Bepo never got angry like this. Law's mouth hung slightly as his eyes wandered over the new creature, his analytic gaze picking out every detail he could get.

To say the least, he had never seen anything like it before. The thing was so white and smooth in places other than its head. The skin colored an alabaster hue, blue veins visible at its neck and back of its hands like a busy intersection of roads he had seen on maps. He pondered if the skin was actually hard because it looked like marble, but he had a feeling that it would feel soft due to the way it didn't have cracks or lines like the thick skin of some of the animals he'd seen. And was the creature wearing clothes?! It – yes, it was! Law gasped at the marvel. That was clearly a wool coat it was wearing along with a black shirt underneath and pants. It even wore shoes – black boots, he noticed. Even though everything was worn and smeared with dirt, Law considered the fact that it wore clothes as a feat.

The creature hunched over in a protective stance, its arms lifted by its side with balled fists, and returned a nasty scowl to his Bepo. The shocking red that filled its messy hair only added to its countenance while somehow enhancing the heavy expression chiseled on its face, and the thin eyebrows made the thing even more oddly alluring. Perhaps because it made it look even angrier? Law found himself liking the animated face, more so than he thought he should have.

Entranced, it was a while before he noticed that the creature was staring back at him, and he snapped out of his daze.

"What did Doffy bring in now?" he said to no one as he cautiously stepped closer.

The dark brown eyes followed him as he moved, the muscles on the creature visibly tensing. _Interesting,_ he thought. Its eyes were almost like the color of blood. Law made his way next to Bepo and patted a placating hand on the back of his pet's neck to calm it down. Bepo ceased his growling, but didn't break his guard to attack.

"Fascinating, don't you think, Bepo? It actually spoke. How did you make it to that? And what do you think it is?"

The creature in question's face tightened looking bemused, its nose twitching.

"Does it understand?" Law asked continuing his monologue. He reckoned that Bepo understood his rambling despite being unable to reply in human speech, and the bear gave a snort. Law easily overlooked the unamused opinion of his companion as he was too stoked on how the new found animal was reacting to his words. If it was intelligent, could it talk back to him? He decided to take the chance and converse with it directly. "How did you get here?" He was not so secretly hoping it would provide a proper response.

"Are you retarded?" it spat in that gruff voice he had heard. The potential of the animal was the only reason why he didn't take offense when the thing blatantly sneered at him.

"Who are you?" Law wanted to get as much information as he could before he had to inevitably knock it out cold with the syringe hidden in his pocket.

Thinking about the needle suddenly made him realize that he was still wearing the bloodied apron from his "research" just minutes ago. The expression on the animal's face now made sense. It was disgusted seeing all the red splattered on his white clothes. The last thing he wanted to do was make it afraid. If it tried to run, he'd have to have Bepo chase after it, and his pet might just wring its neck. That just wouldn't do as he was already set on making the animal his next experiment.

Law chuckled looking down at himself. He was covered in blood save for his forearms and below where his gloves were.

"Excuse the mess. I was immersed in a previous engagement."

"Yeah, I can see that," it said. "You looked to have been pretty damn busy."

The madman twinkle in his eyes that Law knew he couldn't control gleamed then. The piece of work that he had been laboring on was progressing as a failure. That's why he had gotten frustrated and accidentally cut an artery causing all the blood to spill out. The disappointing outcome of his work made him itch to redeem himself, and that new specimen that was going to give him another chance was standing right in front of him.

"Are you lost?" he asked. His fingers twitched needing to get this specimen into his lab immediately.

Tightening its jaw, it hesitated to answer. Dark brown eyes switched from Law to his pet calculating what to do next. _It's smart,_ Law noted. The thing looked like it wanted to pounce him, but was afraid of the white burly beast he controlled.

"He won't hurt you," Law attempted to lure the animal into a false sense of security so he could start getting closer. He pressed firmly where he had already had a hand on Bepo's body ordering it to stay before he languidly ambled over. "Bepo is my pet, and he won't attack as long as you don't."

The warning kept the animal in place as he circled it. Tilting his head upon inspection, Law marked their height difference, the thing being taller by a couple inches. Based on the gruff aura the animal exuded, he deemed it as male. Unless of course, it was one of those creatures that had the females bigger and stronger than the males in order to give birth and protect multiple young. Forgetting his polite front, Law stopped when he was in front of the animal and placed a hand right under its jaw. _Soft_ , he made another note in his head. So he was correct about the feel of the skin. Liking how it felt under his fingertips, he ran his hand down slowly along the animal's jugular and down to a broad chest. Every bump was engraved into his head like a schematic diagram, and he couldn't help but compare how it was so unlike all the other species. It had developing muscles, he could tell that much. Everything he felt was solid, and he delved on the thought of the animal not being fully grown, but it was mostly a gut feeling.

The animal, still wary of Bepo, closed his eyes and thinned his lips as he let his body be touched. Red lashes which showed brightly against the pale skin replaced the dark irises, but they were nice in their own way. As much as he liked the color of the intelligent rims, the creature looked less threatening with his lids closed. Tentatively, Law's other hand joined in exploration as both palms traveled down from underneath collarbones and lower to a flat stomach. A hitched breath made the stomach suck in, and wider hands swiftly gripped his wrists before they went any lower.

Bepo flinched, but did nothing else as the creature just held his wrists tight. A hard glare bore against Law's own, and at that moment, Law saw his reflection in the dark brown filter.

Something gripped inside Law's chest which he couldn't describe. So many things hit him at once as he saw the many similarities of his image with the creature. His mouth ran dry. He had only seen his reflection against Doffy's shades, and the only _thing_ that was similar to him – that had arms like him, had legs which were sinewy and long like his, had a body structure like him – was his father. Most other creatures in the zoo were too hairy or had too many appendages to be of the same species. He didn't think too much of it, but he had given up on the idea that Doffy would bring another creature like him and his father. But this – could this be another, for lack of better words… _him?_

"You're human,"

The redhead raised a brow at his conclusion. He would have laughed if it weren't for the awe in Law's voice. It was soaked in such genuine surprise that the idea of another human existing sounded equivalent of finding out that monkeys could breathe under water.

Law suddenly found his world shattering into pieces that would never be able to be put back together again.

There were other people like him? They weren't only contained historically in books? They were alive?

Gears sped rapidly inside his head, and after moments of not moving, he jerked and grabbed onto the redhead's coat.

"There are others like you out there?"

The boy, Law now deemed the redhead since he was human, drew his head back.

"No shit, Sherlock. Did you live behind these walls all your life?"

The lost look on Law's face answered, "Yes."

"You know of Sherlock Holmes?" he knitted his brows in confusion. The boy only gave him a twisted expression as if what he said was somehow wrong.

"Wow. They weren't kidding when they say that rich kids grow up clueless."

"Rich?" Law didn't know of his wealth. He had never thought of how everything he had was all provided for, and accepted everything that he was given. "What do you mean by rich?"

"Look," the boy sighed losing patience. "Why don't you just go back to what you were doing and let me go? I'll leave, I swear."

"Leave? Where did you come from?"

"Shit. Just leave me alone," the redhead groaned wanting nothing other than to get away.

Panic and fear struck a chord inside him. Law was afraid that his new found human would leave him when he had finally found another person like him. But the prospect that this boy had come from somewhere where more humans existed stirred excitement. His fingers dug deeper into the fabric of the boy's coat.

"If my father didn't bring you, how are you here? _Why_ are you here?"

Sensing its master distress, Bepo let out a guttural threat. The boy's eyes shifted to the living weapon snarling and waiting for the signal to shred him to pieces.

"Show me where you came from."

Law's greys blazed when the boy, after taking a skeptical moment to weigh his sanity, motioned to a section of the brick wall. The calloused hands that held his wrists let go. Taking a wary look at Law's pet to make sure that it was okay to move, the redhead kneeled down to the floor and pushed the bricks closest to the ground. Law's jaw slackened as each red block was removed, and his mouth grew into a spitting image of a gaping fish as the boy revealed a decent sized hole big enough for each of them to fit through.

"You guys should check your walls."

He glanced at the boy who was now sporting a cocky smile brought forth by his facial expression.

Thousands of things ran through the young master's mind, but none of them processed. So many inputs crashed his brain from working. His heart, which was beating so madly that his palms were sweating, screamed. Here was his chance to leave. This was his moment to hurdle over the blasted wall that had caged him for so long. His dreams of finding what was hiding behind those vine covered walls – he could make it come true. Although he was getting through by crawling instead of climbing, the idea was that he would be out, and he could finally be free.

"Take me with you." Law was so shaken that his words were almost a whisper.

"Hell no." The boy rejected him in an instant.

Law sped so fast, he almost stumbled. He didn't know why anyone would refuse his requests. Quite frankly, he was quite frustrated with the boy's attitude. No one dared say otherwise to him before. He grabbed the boy's collar again and loomed over him. Dark shadows stretched over his face as he stared down the redhead.

"Take me, or I will have my pet maul you to death."


	2. Jewels

**A/N: Sorry for a late update and for taking down the previous second chapter. I was actually stuck on how to proceed from the original way the plot was progressing so I changed it just slightly. Just a warning that the next chapter might change the rating for this fic.**

 **Thank you all for reading this! You all have my gratitude. Please review at the end of the chapter if you can!**

* * *

A burst of air was pushed out from his lungs as a hard elbow smashed into his ribs. Law stumbled back, his foot getting caught on a slight rise of the ground, and fell on his hands. Immediately, Bepo charged at the redhead, his mass launching itself with great speed. Without missing a beat, the redhead crawled through the hole he had created in the wall and made his escape. Bepo's sharp claws managed to rip a piece of the boy's pant leg, but he was too bulky to continue chase and fit through the way the redhead had gone.

It had all happened so fast, by the time Law opened his eyes, the boy was gone and Bepo was growling at empty space. His lips parted slightly with overwhelming emotions while his heart sunk deeper than he thought would be salvageable. It must have been for a few minutes that he didn't move, his hands shaking involuntarily. His fingers twitched digging into the dirt.

Just like that, something in him was torn. He couldn't quite place what had been taken from him, but he felt… cheated somehow.

Bepo must've sensed Law's distress as the animal's howls quickly died into whimpers and turned its head. It trotted over to his master and nudged Law's cheek with its own and let out a low whine. Law, now that Bepo wasn't blocking the gaping space in the wall, was staring at the fallen bricks on the grass. His eyes widened as if he was looking through some forbidden portal. From what he could see, the outside wasn't so different from the garden. There were trunks of trees that he could make out, and the ground was just an extension of the healthy grass to which he was currently sitting on. Small white flowers sprouted now and then until the grass faded into the dark feet of the forest.

Law blinked a few times disbelieving that he was actually seeing the other side of his cage until it finally registered that there was something wet repeatedly running up the side of his face. A slick, wet tongue slid over his right eye and he twisted his neck only to have Bepo lick his nose. The scent of dog breath made his face scrunch.

A barrage of licks assaulted his face in quick successions until Law finally lifted his hands to keep his pet's head a good distance away. He couldn't bring himself to speak so he just let out a grunt to tell Bepo to stop. When he didn't feel a tongue attacking him anymore, Law peered his eyes open. His reflection shined inside his pet's dark eyes, but he quickly rejected what he saw. There weren't tears building at the rims of his eyes, and there weren't thin streams running across his face and dripping from his chin.

Why would he be crying?

The more Law denied being hurt, the tighter his chest constricted. It was as if someone were squeezing him.

His lids lowered downcast as his gaze flittered to the loosened bricks placed on the ground. Immediately, he looked back at the hole in the wall again.

This was it. This was his chance. His _escape_.

Law crawled over to where the boy had been squatting before he left, but he couldn't go any further than that.

 _You can leave_ , he told himself.

His mind kept urging him to take the extra steps forward. Freedom was just a foot away. _What are you waiting for?_

His heart started to beat, and his neck bent downwards. Law's hands reached to closest brick next to him, his thin fingers gripping it tightly, and placed it at the bottom where the hole began. One by one, his hands gathered the pieces of the wall that were taken out and pieced it back together like jigsaw. A shaky sigh came from his lips when the wall was whole again, and he patted the red cement to make it even. At a quick glance, it looked as if nothing were out of place.

Law felt a moist texture at the back of his neck as Bepo licked him again. This time, he stood up and dusted off the dirt that had gotten on his clothes. Without a word, he began walking back from where he had come from, Bepo following at his heels.

* * *

A week had passed, and Law tried his best to not think of the redheaded stranger, but without much success. Not that he had waited by the wall where they had met for a few afternoons or anything. He just couldn't get the boy out of his mind, and how –

Law accidentally spilled his soup on the table. His eyes widened with strain as hot liquid spread against the dark, dining room table and trickled from the edge and down to the napkin on his lap. A rush of worried voices immediately came to him as a servant hastily wiped the spilling soup away and replaced the stained cloth. As they left, they took the almost empty glass bowl with them and brought back another full serving of clam chowder infront of him. Law stared blankly at the steaming hot bowl, but his mind was jumbled with confused thoughts.

How could he have felt so weak? There were things churning inside him that he had never felt before, and he didn't know what to call them. Fear, perhaps? But what should he be afraid of? No, this was not fear.

"Law," a voice pulled him out if his thoughts.

His head jerked up to stare at the tall blonde sitting across from him on the table. The chandeliers dangling from the ceiling brought a vivid light upon the whole room, and an assortment of fruits on expensive glass and bowls of many types of food lined the dining table. These small things about his surroundings – he barely just registered as he hadn't been paying attention. The blonde tilted his head to the side with a line to his mouth. Law could tell he was thinking, and the outcome of that was always unpredictable.

"Come here," the man ordered.

Law pushed his seat back and did as he was told. He walked to the other side of the room, his feet hitting the cold marble tiles, and the man opened his arms to make space for the boy to sit on his lap. Law climbed to settle himself on the long legs and looked at the unfinished meal on the man's plate. The steak he was eating was only half gone, but the bottle of red wine to their left was more than two-thirds of the way finished. If Law remembered correctly, the bottle had just been freshly opened at the beginning of the meal.

"Is something bothering you?" Lanky arms wrapped around his waist, but Law remained quiet. The pad of a thumb began rubbing circles on his thigh encouraging him to speak. "You can tell me. If you want something, you know I will get it for you. Anything for my dear Law, hmn?"

Law's fingers curled against his black dress pants. He couldn't possibly tell Doffy about the redhead. He would get angry, and quite possibly, reinforce the security around the walls if he found out how the boy was able to get in to their garden. But again, the squeezing in his chest returned. He just wanted the redhead. He wanted him so bad, he was all he could think about. He pondered about requesting for his father to find him, but he wasn't too keen on answering if Doffy asked for why he would want a specific person. Would he possibly kill the redhead?

Law looked up at his father. He could see himself reflected against Doffy's shades. He was dressed like a proper boy – just how the blonde liked it. His small frame was adorned with a tailored suit just like an oversized doll. A dark blue blazer made of fine silk layered a white collared shirt free of wrinkles while his neck was constricted with a sleek, black tie. Golden buttons were stitched along his jacket and cuffs which contrasted brightly with the dark colors of his black pants and dress shoes. The only thing unruly about his appearance might have been the bags under his eyes and his uncombed hair, but he hid that under his white, spotted cap. His attire, thankfully, wasn't as gaudy as his father's. Even though the man picked his clothes, the blonde took greater liberty with his own clothing. Doffy, instead of the constrained suit he forced on Law, wore a loose, white long sleeve under his usual pink, feathery coat along with a form fitting pair of grey slacks. He smelled, as well as looked, like he had come from some exotic continent that Law would never know off. The smell of spice hit him as Law inhaled.

"Doffy," he asked innocently. "Would you get me humans? You've never given me one before."

A surprised look splashed on the blonde's face. When it wore off, a slow smile melted on the man's lips.

"Are you lonely? Is that why? I'm sorry I don't spend as much time with you as I should have," he hugged the boy in his arms tighter. "You don't need other people."

Law tried hard not to struggle in the embrace.

"But Doffy, I only want to see."

"You don't need anyone else, but me."

"I know. I know I only need you, but I'm curious."

"And what brought forth this annoying curiosity? Was it the maids again?"

Law shook his head. He didn't want to put unnecessary blame on the servants when they had nothing to do with what had happened. The last time he had admitted that the servants told him something about the outside world, he never saw them again.

"I want to know more about you and me."

"What specifically do you want to know?"

Doffy's tone changed from playful with just a hint of strain. He could tell that the man didn't like the conversation at all, but he wasn't going to stop pushing until he knew he was about to cross a line. He was putting himself in a dangerous position, he knew, so he had to play it smart. It would be best if he pretended to be ignorant to hide his intentions, but to also tell half-truths. His father, for some unnatural reason, had the uncanny ability to tell when he was lying, and being caught in the act would only achieve him punishment. He didn't want to lose any of Doffy's trust.

"I don't know. I don't know anything about us, and that's why I want to learn," Law answered.

At least that was true. He didn't like to admit it, but he was aware of how lacking his own knowledge was of his own kind. He had always been trapped inside the house without a human companion ever since he could remember. How empty his life suddenly felt. Looking back at his own history, he felt like some leper that was condemned to a sentence of isolation.

Law rocked in place as Doffy's legs shifted. The man's arms unwrapped themselves around his waist, and a resonating disappointment echoed inside his chest when the simple, gruff reply came from his father's mouth.

"No."

He could feel himself sliding down from the blonde's lap, and he panicked. He stretched out his hands to cling onto the man's shoulders to keep from being dismissed.

"Please, Doffy!"

There was a loud slap.

Law's vision spun as the force of the hit sent him falling to the floor.

The sharp sound of his father's hand meeting his cheek quickly sobered his mind. What did he just do? The severity of his mistake dawned on him as he brought a hand against his face where his skin tingled with heat. He was very afraid as he slowly picked himself up. He braved a glance at his father who had stood up from his seat, and he gulped. It would be cowardly to try and run away. It would be useless anyway as he would be undoubtedly caught, and his punishment would be ten times as worse than if he just stood his ground now.

It took all of Law's willpower to keep his legs from shaking as the overbearing presence of his father loomed over him.

"We've had this conversation many times, Law," the man's voice was overly sweet and condescending, as if his son didn't have a brain to understand what he should have already the first time they talked. "And what did I tell you when you first asked?"

Doffy grabbed the bottom half of Law's face, his fingers clawing into the boy's cheek, as he forced him to meet his eyes. Silent terror flashed through Law's grey irises as he had to result on being on tip toes from his father lifting him too high.

"What did I say?" Doffy repeated wanting him to reiterate what he had said.

"You said that you didn't want me to see what happened to people you catch."

"And?"

"So that means I can't have any humans. They're damaged goods so they'll be useless to me."

"If you know this, then why can't you understand?"

"I'm sorry, Doffy."

"You should be, sweet little lamb."

Law couldn't hold in the whimper as he was suddenly picked up from the ground in one fell swoop of his father's arm. Fear racked his whole body and he kept spouting apologies one after another, but no matter how loud he cried, his pleas were ignored as he was going to have what was coming for him.

* * *

On a normal night, the multitude of stars would be shining brightly like the hidden jewels they were. The high hills was one of the few areas where the city lights still hadn't disrupted the enchanting view of the night sky, but in a night like this, the clouds were too heavy for any type of light to be infiltrating through even from the heavens. As it were, the moon had started on a new cycle so the beautiful grass, the tall birch trees, and the families of coyotes hiding behind the tall shrubs could hardly be seen. Not even the lurking thieves currently climbing over the great wall of the Don Quixote mansion were an exception.

Eustass Kid threw a leg over as he finally made it over the cursed barrier and jumped off to land quietly on his feet. Two of his fellow mates followed suit, and quickly made their way to hide in the cover of a huge tree.

"Are you sure we couldn't have just used the entrance we made last week on the East side?" Ace asked with a bit of apprehension in his voice.

Kid had told them about what had happened when he came to scope out the area a few days prior. Seeing that he had been caught by a boy living within the mansion, they had agreed to change tactics and infiltrated through the South side of the perimeter instead. By doing so, they had landed themselves closer the main building where the main residents stayed, but that also meant that they had put themselves in a higher risk area where there would be tighter security. The thought of the odd, white bear that attacked him flashed through Kid's mind.

"Trust me," he whispered. "This is better."

With the howl of the wind, the three of them ran closer to the nearest building to which they assumed was a storage unit based on the map they had gotten from a trusted source. The rustle of leaves hid their light steps, and they were able to make it without someone spotting them. Making sure that there weren't any guards nearby, the trio made haste to unload their tools and started climbing the wall to break in through a window. With Ace's experienced fingers, the window opened smoothly without a sound.

"We'll meet back at the wall at exactly thirty minutes from now," Kid made sure to look at the other two in the eyes before they nodded in unison and broke into different directions.

Zoro and Ace opted to explore the lower levels so Kid decidedly stayed to explore the current floor. His trained ears could hardly pick up the dull thud of their feet before the noise completely faded away. For a few minutes, Kid stood still adjusting his eyes to the dim lighting of the hallway before moving. He could make out the outline of a few furniture lining the walls along with a couple paintings as he walked, but the hall was mostly empty. Being careful, he stopped at the first door he passed and tried the knob. The clacking of metal signified it was locked so he squatted down and slid out his pocket knife from his back pocket.

Two seconds, and the door opened. Kid pushed it back quietly to create a bigger opening so he could slip in. He closed the door behind him gently and lit a small match so he could scour the room.

Just as they deemed the building, it was a storage unit. Cardboard boxes of different sizes stacked the wooden floor, and Kid made quick work of them as he peeked into a few random ones. Dust filled his nose as he flipped the arms, and he covered his face with the neck of his jacket to keep from sneezing. His fingers rifled through what seemed like endless paper work. The name of Doflamingo Donquixote appeared on many of the ones he skimmed through as the documents seemed like ownership rights.

Knowing that these documents weren't what they came for but acknowledging what the right papers could do if it were in his possession to manipulate, Kid stuffed a few important looking ones into the inside pocket of his jacket. He then closed the box he had opened and took one last look around. There weren't any vaults or heavy duty cabinets that signaled expensive artifacts being hidden inside so Kid blew the fire from his match and decided to leave. He crept his way out of the room and back to the hallway. He had barely closed the door when he heard a noise.

His shoulders stiffened anticipating trouble, but after a few seconds of being still, nothing came. Kid continued down the hallway slowly until he heard the same noise. This time, it was louder, but still fairly muffled. He scrunched his brows wondering why it sounded so much like a sob.

His curiosity winning, he tiptoed towards the noise until it led him to a door a few paces down from the other room.

Kid reached out to feel the wood against his palms, and was surprised to feel cold metal instead. He pressed his ear against it to make sure that the crying was coming from the other side, and a sniffle confirmed his guess.

Not a lot of things were going through Kid's mind at the moment. He knew that Doflamingo Don Quixote, the owner of the mansion he was currently trespassing in, had the preeminent reputation of a twisted and sly diplomat. There were rumors of him running an underground black market and selling humans for illegal experiments, but it was all just baseless talk that people often threw around against governmental figures. Kid really didn't give two shits about political talk – it was all accusatory slurs and murky lies – but popular talk was popular talk. Doflamingo Don Quixote, apparently, was ranked high among gossip anywhere a person went in the city. It was either he killed someone or he was part of some drug deal with some foreign investors – it was always something, but right now, despite how much Kid had heard first hand from gossipers, Kid wasn't thinking about any of that.

His mind was blank, and the only thing he focused on was his fingers picking the lock of the steel door.

There were three locks on the damn thing, but he managed to do it in two minutes.

With a low moan, the door creaked open as he pushed it back. The room was darker than the hallways so he was able to see well, and what he saw took his breath away. A whole wall was a shelf lined with jewelry, and his eyes widened with greed. His eager eyes jumped to the floor where there was basically gold spilling from wooden chests, and he pushed the door wider so he could see more of the room. More chests of what he assumed were also filled with rare stones appeared into view. His lips pulled upwards into a smirk thinking he hit a jackpot. That is, until he spotted the moving shadow at the corner of the room.

The figure was small and looked like it was curled onto itself. Sharp rising motions made it seem alive. Not until the shadow raised its head did Kid realize that it was a child, and the smile he had was washed away from his face.

He knew that people had secrets, but nothing quite like this had made him feel so dirty by just walking into it. Somebody certainly wanted to keep _this_ hidden. There were three locks on the door, and maybe for _once_ , he shouldn't have taken the challenge. Kid felt his stomach tighten.

The conclusion that this was not the riches he was looking for should have processed in his mind, but some part of him knew that this _was_ treasure. In some sick way, he understood that he was intruding on another man's gold by just looking at what was before him.

His eyes bore onto the child with their knees against their chest. Slowly, it began to uncurl its limbs and the sniffling quieted. Through the darkness, Kid could feel their heavy gaze on him. Instincts told him to step back and close the door. This was not something he should get wrapped up in, but something about the languid pace to which the child unfolded themselves made him feel too on edge to move. The careful way they curled their bare toes, the way they rolled their small shoulders as if every single movement inflicted a cut against their flesh - it was surreal.

Kid knew that he was looking at a beaten, half naked boy. The scent of blood was stale in the air, and it could only have come from one source. Still, there was a rush pumping all throughout his body as if he was sensing a dangerous aura that would come and attack him if he stayed in the room any longer.

"Please," the wavering voice broke Kid out of his stupor.

He watched as the boy crawled towards him. The sound of metal clanging matched the jolting moment when the child stopped inching forward, and Kid was able to see that there was a chain attached to the boy's left ankle.

Without thinking, he rushed forward to kneel beside the child and tug at the chain, but it wasn't made with a normal lock. There were some blocks on the anklet to which he dragged a finger across, and Kid could only conclude that a metal key would be useless, and he would instead need a numerical code. He had come across this type of lock only once before. By experience, he knew cracking the combination would take much too long.

A hand against his shoulder made Kid turn his head towards the boy, and the face he recognized confused him. Being less than a foot apart, Kid could make out the features on the child's face more carefully. He had short black hair and a slim face, although he couldn't have been any older than twelve. That was four years younger than him.

Placing an age marker on the boy made it even worse in Kid's head so he tried burying the thought away.

The double set of earrings on both of the boy's ears shined even under the minimal light, and it was eerie when it was matched with the big dark eyes that just made Kid freeze in his spot. The boy opened his mouth to speak when he was suddenly overcome with a fitting cough, and he bent forward leaning on Kid's chest as he spat something out. Kid's arm wrapped around the small body to keep it steady. As the boy was doubled over, he was able to catch a glimpse at the tattoo just below the sharp shoulder blades. It was difficult to make out in fine detail, but as a whole, it looked to be a circular tattoo which spanned half of the boy's back. Straight lines of ink protruded around the circle, but before Kid could make out more, the boy slowly sat back up again.

The kid was wheezing, and it sounded painful hearing him try to form words.

"Take me… outside. You… you're…"

Yes, the voice was the same. This was the same boy he had encountered last week with the white bear. But wait, hadn't this boy been out in the garden? He acted as if he had the highest authority in the premise, so what was he doing here locked up in a room with a bunch of jewelry? The different attitude he was seeing now – were they really the same person?

The boy fidgeted in his arms, and Kid made space for him to move. A shadow moved up to his face, and he was only able to figure out that it was a hand because there was a glittering band around one of the fingers.

"You can have this…" the boy made to pull out the ring from his left ring finger, but it was too swollen for the ring to slip off. "You've come to steal… right?"

The boy kept on trying to take out the ring as he let out a few grunts.

"You can have this… in exchange… hmn… but only… if you promise to take me…"

It was too pathetic to keep listening to the boy's failed attempts so Kid put a hand around the boy's wrists to stop him. As to not hurt him, he kept the left wrist steadily in his hold while his other hand gingerly pinched the ring at its base and wiggled it off from the swollen finger. Kid held the ring in his palm as they stared at each other, hope gleaming in the younger's eyes.

Neither spoke; their breathing was loud in their silence.

"Kid!" There was a hiss and a knock by the door.

The two of them flinched as they turned their heads. Kid could see Ace beckoning him in the dark with Zoro behind him. They were all dressed in black so they fit in with the shadows, but the bulging bags they were carrying behind their backs made for odd outlines in the dark.

"I think a guard noticed us while we were on the third floor. He's alerting the others. We better go!"

Kid's eyes jumped from his friends and to the boy in front of him. A weak hand curled against the side of his shirt begging him to stay, but another call from his friends, Zoro this time, raised the alarm inside his head. They needed to leave _now_. He clenched his jaw tight regretting what he was about to do. And as if the kid knew it, the boy tightened his fist against his shirt, but he was still able to easily throw him off with a good shove. Kid pocketed the ring and hurried to the door. Ace and Zoro were already climbing out the window by the time he was finished redoing all the locks on the steel door. When he heard the last click, he sprinted towards the window, and the three made their escape.


	3. Booty

**A/N: I know I said that this story might be bumped to a M rating this chapter, but maybe the next one. This chapter actually took longer than I expected. In general, just anticipate the story rating to change at any time.**

 **As always, please review!**

* * *

The cold night air bit his exposed skin and made his lungs feel raw, but not one of them stopped running until they reached the poorer slums of the city. Harsh intakes of breath came from each of them, their bodies hunched over with exhaustion and pumping adrenaline. A winsome smirk played on Ace's and Zoro's faces as they cast a glance at each other.

"That was amazing," Ace panted.

His smile widened to show teeth, and he started laughing. His rambunctious laughter was infectious and Zoro let out a snicker, the two reveling on the fact that they had just stolen from the richest man in the city and lived. And they were able to take a hefty amount with them too. The two grinned with pride when they heard the heavy thud of their bags as they set their booty on the ground for a small break. It was then that Ace noticed that their third companion was missing a sack full of stolen treasure, and he turned around to look at the redhead curiously.

Kid was panting breathlessly like the rest of them, but he had his back turned and was focusing on the high hills they left behind. An odd expression was etched on his face, and Ace's mood dropped slightly.

"You okay there, Kid?" he asked.

His friend didn't respond so he patted him on the shoulder. Kid's body turned just slightly, and with the lamplight near the alley that they were hiding in, Ace saw the blood smeared across the redhead's shirt. Concern quickly took him and he grabbed Kid's arm so he could take a better look.

"Woah, hey. Did you get hurt? What the hell happened to ya?"

This caught Zoro's attention as well, and the green haired teen stiffened in attentiveness. He stared at his two friends suddenly aware that something was wrong.

"Hey, Kid," Ace continued, his voice more firm to get the redhead to respond. "Shit. Do you need to sit down 'cause you're bleedin' all over the place!"

"It's not mine," Kid mechanically turned his head. And before the freckled boy could push him down for an inspection, he had pulled his arm away.

"Why the hell would you want to go back?" Zoro's deep voice questioned. "We just barely managed to get out without getting our heads chopped off."

Kid grunted not wanting to explain. He looked down at his palm which was curled so tight, his knuckles had turned white. His fingers slowly unfolded revealing the blood stains on his palms and a thin, gold ring. A huge, oval stone was held securely by the vine like extension of the ring's band, and even with the minimal light, it shined like the most beautiful jewel that Kid had ever seen. The color was a deep red, and because of the angles created by the cut, there were multiple shades of the shimmering color.

 _Pigeon's blood._

If Kid knew anything, it was the ranking of precious stones, and he knew for a fact that this was one of the rarest in the world. This was a Sunrise ruby. This could sell for _millions_ in the market.

"Fuck," Kid snapped his hand shut and shoved the ring into his pockets. He turned to his friends who were getting uneasy of how jittery he was getting. "We need to go back."

He didn't know why he was so compelled to do so, but something in him told him he had to.

"Guys," he gritted his teeth when all he received were two blank stares.

Ace and Zoro looked at him like he was mad.

"What's gotten into ya?" Ace whispered. His happy jeer was completely leveled down from worry when Kid raked his bloody hands through his hair.

"Shit. I _saw_ something. There was someone in the room that I was in. Something _sick_ is going in that mansion."

The accusatory tone in his voice was harsh as he got a whiff of the smell of blood that had dried on him.

Neither two that he was talking to understood what he meant, but Kid seemed too out of sorts to explain. _Everyone_ who had heard of Doflamingo's name had a faint inkling that the diplomat was not very sane so hearing that he was hiding something disturbing inside his home wasn't very surprising. Although, that didn't mean those who listened to the accusations would _want_ to know what those disturbing things were. Those who knew Doflamingo's power understood the 'don't ask, don't tell' rule that outlined one's survival when it came to dealing with people like him. It was with common sense that Zoro and Ace were hesitant to run back to the eerie mansion. They had basically stuck their necks out by doing what they did today. To break into the man's home twice in the same night was just suicidal. If Kid was already disturbed from what he saw, Doflamingo's reputation as a sadistic bastard will have them experiencing something even worse if they got caught. They wouldn't be reported to the city police – they would instead die a slow, painful death underneath the earth from unimaginable torture.

"We can't go back," Ace shook his head. Although he wanted to for the sake of appeasing his friend, he knew what would happen. They would _die_. "The guards 've already been alerted. They're suspicious, and they've probably tightened their watch by now. We'll get caught even if they didn't know it was us that came. Plus, I'm betting that they've already figured out that somebody stole from 'em!"

"He's right," Zoro stepped up to agree before Kid could argue. "With the amount that we've taken, it would be too obvious. If anything, they'll be looking for us."

He breathed in the cold night air as he traded looks from both his friends. Their stances indicated that they were waiting for him as they wouldn't abandon their fellow mate, but they were also adamant on making their way back to the slums of the city. Kid studied the heavy bags beside his friends' feet and remarked how big they were. They had gotten what they had come for. Planning a robbery against the most powerful man in, arguably, the country was already a suicide mission. Making it out with their lives _and_ the riches that they sought after was more than enough.

The arguments that Ace and Zoro put up made sense, and he knew that they were right about the guards being on the lookout if they did return. They'd be caught in an instant. But still, the image of the child he saw did a good job of tearing down the logical part of his brain which told him to give up. Kid closed his eyes. It would be better for everyone if he just forgot about him.

There was an encouraging pat on his back and Kid peered at his two friends. There was something in the action that told him that whatever he was planning to do, it wouldn't happen tonight.

"C'mon. We gotta go."

* * *

It's been four years since Kid came back to this city – hell rotten this place was.

Unsurprisingly, it all seemed like as he remembered it. People were still poor, and his neighborhood was still made out of rotting wood. Everything stank of booze and cigarettes, and everyone was plagued with the unfortunate tendency of being so goddamn noisy. The slums hardly changed one bit. It was also still unbelievably cold even in autumn when frost was just starting to come in, and the chilly air was the worst hindrance at night. At least Kid had his heavy coat which was designed to withstand the harshest blizzard, and he was kept warm inside it. A little too warm perhaps because he decided to not wear a shirt underneath or he'd start sweating, but he never did like to wear shirts anyway. It was also decently insulated in the tavern he was in, although he kept his coat on.

Kid downed his beer in three hearty gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing noisily, before he slammed the drink down on the counter. A trail of the yellow liquid trickled from the corner of his mouth which he wiped with the back of his hand. A satisfied sigh left his lips, and he asked for the barman to give him another round. The man nodded obligingly.

As he watched the long haired blonde fill his glass in the dank bar, he listened quietly to the chatter of the other customers. There were quite a few filling the wooden tables, but he was the only one sitting at the counter. Kid hardly knew any of the other customers here personally, and the dim lighting made it easier to ignore the ugly mugs of the strangers lest he get annoyed and punched them on the face. Kid knew it. The barkeep knew it. The guy at the opposite end of the room knew it. Kid had a short temper, and he wasn't opposed at all to starting fights. Though a good deal of the people present would like nothing more than to give the redhead a piece of their mind, they all recognized him as an exceptional fighter and pretty handy with the short blade that he kept hidden under his boot.

The man finished refilling his mug and went back to polishing the unused cups stacked behind him.

There was a wheeze and a cough. Somebody blew smoke from their cigarette for the hundredth time while a hand shook playing the game of dice. Kid was just counting the seconds until it was finally time. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the stocky man who had been sitting by the entrance get up and place the lock on the door. The man crossed his arms and gave a nod over to another man sitting in the middle of the room who in turn gave a nod back. Windows were shut and barred all around the room, and the waitress gave a meaningful look around.

It was time.

Soft footsteps came from the stairs near the door, the wood creaking slightly from the additional weight.

"Alright! Listen up, ya' sorry mutts!"

A sharp, ugly melody ended the slow song the piano man was playing while the whole bar fell silent. All eyes went to the man standing by the stairs. He had the looks of a typical hoodlum about him. He was dark and muscular, his biceps bulging as he gripped the wooden railings. His black vest was cut at the midriff and exposed his toned stomach, but a fair amount was still covered with a white sash that held up his baggy pants. The man's big mouth twisted into a scowl as he glared at everyone in the bar behind tinted shades. He was not very handsome, his jaw set a bit too wide. Most would bluntly call him hideous.

"Anyone who didn't make it by now didn't get the invitation. Now shut ye'r traps 'cuz we're starting!"

Despite the rude introduction, they all remained quiet as another set of footsteps made their way down the same set of stairs. They were lighter this time, but a person would be dumb not to know who they belonged to. From the darkness, a man slowly emerged. Unlike the loud mouthed man next to him, he exuded a commanding aura just from how he showed himself. He was of sun kissed skin and was about the same built as his dark companion, his well-defined chest showcased from his half buttoned shirt. A heavy, black coat draped over his shoulders, but it didn't hide much as it was parted in the middle from the man's arm as he rested his right limb against the sword by his waist. Thick fingers gripped the hilt of the saber as his eyes scanned each person present in the room. Loose strands of red hair fell against the three scars running across his left eye when his head tilted slightly.

"Thank you for quieting everyone down," the man scratched at the scruff on his chin as he continued walking down the flight of stairs. "Now, as it had been said, not everyone is here. I'll just assume that they couldn't make it, or they refused to participate in this. Not that I'll hold anything against them. In fact, if anyone wants to leave right now, I won't stop you." The man held no malice in his voice as he gave a pause just in case anyone wanted to take his offer.

"Ey, Shanks! Just ge' on wit it, will ya'?!" A middle aged man who was missing a tooth spat. "We've been waiting here!"

Quick eyes trained on him in the middle of the room, but the man continued on with his impatient attitude.

"It's not my responsibility if you die." Shanks' voice was grave this time making many stiffen. A chill crept into the very wood of the bar making it seem as if the temperature were a few degrees cooler. There was a moment of pause and serious consideration, but the tension quickly wore off when another man broke the silence.

"No shit, I wouldn't be here! What you expect me to do? Grovel to my knees for those shit eatin' nobles to be 'er slave? You ain't my fuckin' wife! I'd rather 'em cut off my own leg! I'm here for the real prize!"

A follow of cheers gave a unified agreement with what was said, and Shanks' shoulders relaxed. The frost in the room dissipated, and a warm smile formed on the redhead's face.

"Good. I knew you were all good men – because I've got an interesting proposition for you all."

"What is it? Tell us, eh?"

"A good friend of mine approached me the other day. I thought you'd all like to hear the news since there's been wind of some rare rubies coming into the city."

There was a sudden roar around the room, the men raising their drinks in excitement. Shanks smiled at their enthusiasm, but his eyes were reaching across the room. The men noticed and followed his gaze as they turned their heads towards the bar. Kid downed his beer thirstily before twisting in his chair and standing. He was met with curious gaze, some even daring to give a haughty look of disdain.

"What this brat doin' here?" A person asked clearly lacking respect.

Many of them were older than Kid, perhaps ten years older or even twice that. None of them bothered knowing his name, the older men living the life that he was living for much longer. It was all about reputation in the slums. If one didn't have a name, then they would be treated like trash. An unknown face was considered unworthy unless they proved otherwise. Kid may have been deemed an able fighter, but he hasn't done anything that would garner him any type of attention for the general population to want to know more.

Losing the small patience he had, Kid threw his mug at the person who just spoke. There was shattering of glass and a heavy thud as the man fell from his seat. Blood started to seep onto the floor from the crack against the man's head, but no one lifted a muscle to help.

"Shut up and listen," Kid growled.

Just like that, he had everyone's interest. He reached into his pocket and held out a small ring for everyone to see. It was a small piece of jewelry, the band meant to fit a slim finger, but the gem was huge and sent a clear message to everyone in the room. Its beautiful color enchanted all eyes of the men as it shined seductively in the dim tavern light. There was a collective inhale of sharp breaths. Many were awestruck to have such a rare gemstone in their reach, and the air was suddenly thick with lust. Kid could see it in their eyes. The way they focused solely on the red stone between his fingers and nothing else – he knew he had these men in his grasp.

"This is pigeon's blood," he said to confirm what they already knew, but he delighted in seeing the increase in mad glitter that consumed their gazes. "They have been mining these in North Blue ever since they started digging in Albatross. A shipment had been made two days ago to this city. If you agree to follow me, I'll tell you where it's been stored. And not only that," Kid lowered his arm and hid the ring back into his pockets. "I'll give you more. Everything that can fit into your pockets, it'll be yours."

As his sentence trailed off, it seemed to have an effect in the room. All the thieves sat in their seats in quiet contemplation mulling over his promise of riches, but he could tell that quite a few were leaning at the edge of their seats.

"And where exactly is this place that you speak of?" A man's deep baritone came from across the room.

"Think of who the richest man in the city is. Who else can afford it?" he answered, but was quickly followed by a scoff.

"You're a crazy piece of shit."

"Then remember it," Kid said flatly, but the threat was there.

"How do you expect to break into that fortress? Every person's that's tried has gotten killed." There was an outburst of one of the younger men in the room who was actually sitting fairly close to Shanks.

A haughty smirk on the redhead's face appeared then. "In six days, he's going to leave." There was no confusion as to who he was referring to – the man whose name they refuse to say aloud in fear he would hear. "There's an annual conference in Marineford that calls for all city representatives to attend. You gotta either be dying or dead to miss it. When he leaves, the majority of the police force is going to be escorting him and guarding the gates to make sure no one enters the city. That's when we can break in. Even if they're alarmed, the best they can do is send a small group while they panic. It's going to take a while before they can collect themselves from the Northern border and to the hills, but by then, we'll be gone."

"So the city won't be after us, but what about the mansion guards? The Don Quixote mansion isn't known as the beast's home for nothing," the same man interjected. Kid looked at him closely and it dawned on him that the man was one of Shank's closer men. That's why he was sitting so close in the table besides the stairs. He had seen the guy often walking behind the redheaded elder. Although the man was clad in all black and his face was masked with a hood, his broad shoulders and brawny stature made him memorable. He was also one of the few in the room who didn't speak in the lisp of the slums. Still, Kid had never bothered to learn his name. He never seemed significant enough to give him a reason to, but it seemed like he had a brain. Or at least, he had enough sense to take precaution.

The broody man continued speaking in a low voice. "Don Quixote never needed the outside forces to protect his home. In fact, most intruders have gotten caught before the police even came – if the crime even got reported. We should be worrying about the men already waiting for us, not the police. With Don Quixote leaving, the security would be tighter."

"That's because everyone who's tried to break in tried to _sneak_ in," Kid countered. "But we won't be doing that. No. We'll come in full force and tear everything down. Let the guards see us, and we'll just kill 'em."

* * *

The bar had gone deadly quiet, but a manic grin was plastered on everyone's faces. It was that silent psychotic smile that appeared when a person was about to do something they knew was crazy, but that was the very reason why they loved it. After Kid's little speech, the criminals that they've gathered had all mutedly gave their confirmed participation before they left. Zoro watched the men leave as he sat on a barrel just outside the tavern. The lamplights created flickering shadows as people moved drawing elongated images of their bodies against the floor. It was like a puppet show, but the warmth of the fire couldn't be felt. Instead, the icy breath of the night dominated all his senses.

He continued sitting quietly, his arms crossed tightly around him, to keep from the cold. His breath danced in front of his face in puffs until another cloud joined it. Zoro didn't turn to see who it was as he already knew who had taken a seat next to him.

"I need to ask for a favor."

The man was straight to the point. Four years he hadn't seen him, and those were his first words to say. _Casual. Direct._ Not that they were a pair for sappy words or anything, but this was the first time that they had reunited. It was like the years hadn't passed by at all, and special words didn't need to be said. Zoro grew at ease at that. It would have been awkward if either of them tried to do so. Besides, they knew each other. On Zoro's part, maybe too well.

The green haired swordsman gave a grunt. He knew what Kid wanted to ask. This is what it was all about, after all.

"Sunny," the redhead's voice was almost a question.

Although, it wasn't as if Zoro was going to say no in the first place. Whatever the request would have been, he would have done it regardless. He gave a curt nod.

"Sunny," he repeated.

Kid gave a grunt in return.

They didn't look at each other, but after a while, they sort of just sat there as the night grew quieter. The air was getting chillier, but it had been quite some time since they've been in each other's presence. It was kind of nice just to enjoy the silence and the fact that one of his friends was back. He had always known that Kid wasn't dead, but the man being physically there next to him was far better than the minimal comfort of a knowing thought.

"Zoro." Just when their toes were getting numb, the redhead spoke.

This time, the swordsman cast a glance over and he saw something being thrown towards him. His fast reflexes enabled him to catch it, and he felt a dense weight fit into his hand. Raising a brow, he studied the heavy object and gave a wicked grin when he saw the three large black "X" marks that labeled the brown bottle. It was rum from South Blue, meaning, it was devilishly strong alcohol. The country's special brews could send a light weight under the table easy like a good smack to the temple.

A low chuckle escaped him in thanks as he popped it open and tilted his head to drink. The liquid shot up to his nose and burned his chest, and it stung like hellfire from the deepest pits of hell. He breathed a satisfied sigh when the bottle finally pulled from his lips. The strength of the drink had him clearing his throat, but it was good. He wordlessly extended the bottle out to Kid who took it and stole a swig. The same contended sound followed afterwards, and they both laughed.

The rum bottle was passed again, one of the many times to which the same action would be repeated until the sun started to rise.

It had been too long.

* * *

The sound of water splashing filled his ears as he got into the porcelain tub and closed his eyes. A wrinkle on his nose folded as the scent of flowers wafted in the air. _The maid filled the bath water with rose petals again_ , he grudgingly thought. How many times did he have to tell her that he hated the smell? He rubbed his face with both hands trying to erase the fatigue from his body, but it did little to actually soothe the numbness he felt. Relaxing his limbs, his arms fell beside him and into the warm water. He opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling. A deep inhale of breath had him breathing in the light fog that had filled the huge bathroom.

Law let himself slide down the tub so that he was mostly laying down, his long legs barely fitting. The echo of the water moving around accentuated how big and empty the bathroom was, and he almost wished that Doffy didn't have to leave today just so he wouldn't have to feel so alone. Whenever his father was gone, it seemed like he was the only living soul that existed within the mansion because it was so quiet. The servants hardly spoke, and they avoided Law whenever they didn't have any direct responsibilities concerning him.

Bored, he listed all the activities he could do to occupy himself until the blonde came back, and he inwardly groaned at how repetitive it all sounded. It had only been a few hours since his father departed, and he was already hard pressed to find something worthwhile of his time. Unconsciously, Law sunk himself lower until his chin dipped in the water, the floral scent hitting him stronger.

Why couldn't something interesting happen in his life? Everything was always the same. The world wouldn't end if something _different_ happened every now and then.

Law let his eyelids droop as his body relaxed. It felt so comfortable in the tub, and he must've dozed for a few minutes until he was rudely disrupted by a loud, ugly sound. Law quickly sat up alert, his hands breaking out of the water and gripping the edge of the tub. His head snapped towards the door were he glared perturbed. It sounded like an explosion. Did one of his pets escape again? A few seconds of silence passed until another thunderous bang shook the floor, and all of a sudden, there was rumbling. Curious and deeply unsettled, Law stood up to grab a towel that was hanging by the wall when the bathroom door burst open.

A jolt rushed through Law's body making him freeze as a man stood in the hallway, the bathroom fog swirling towards him. The stranger was perhaps of middle age and was bald from the top his head. From his stance, it was obvious he had kicked the door open. He was holding a sliver blade on each hand, and the open mouthed gaze he was wearing was something they both shared. It was perhaps the shock from seeing a human that made Law unable to move. He couldn't comprehend why there was one standing mere meters from him while there were shouts coming from what seemed to be _more_ people just outside the hall. The stranger appeared to be momentarily stunned as well, his dark eyes staring at Law's wet, naked form as he stood in the tub with a white towel in one hand. Between them, the man was able to collect himself sooner and started running towards him.

Law was able to react just in time. He threw the towel at the man's face cloaking his sight and making him stumble. He then took that moment to jump out of the tub and slam himself against the stranger and pin him to the floor. He kept one hand against the man's head to keep the towel over his eyes and nose while a knee kept one arm motionless. Law's other hand grabbed the man's wrist from the arm that wasn't pinned down and guided it with enough force so the blade touched the intruder's chest. Both their hands were shaking as the man resisted, but Law threw his weight to give one last push to drive the blade down. The blade went straight through the heart. With a cruel, precise twist to the hilt, Law deepened the cut until the man stopped twitching.

His own heart beating fast, Law stood up and retrieved a new towel from one of the cabinets and wrapped it around his waist. Ignoring the blood that had gotten on his thighs, he walked into the hallway in search of a servant. What in the world was going on?

He didn't have to go far because as soon as he made it out of the bathroom and turned left, he saw a servant rushing towards him. It was one of the female puppets that was responsible for taking care of the baths. She was dressed in a French maid's dress and garb, and her cheeks were painted with a faint pink blush. The clacking of wood accompanied her rushed steps, and when she had come within talking distance, her height only reached to his waist.

"Young master," her hands were shaking. "You have to hide. We have intruders in the mansion."

Law scowled. He did not intend to be useless in a time of crisis, especially when his father was absent to take care of matters. He turned to her instead and spoke. "Release the hounds from my lab, and open up the cells from E10 to J1 from the holding units at the South Side. Get others to sprinkle the serum that I have stocked from the kitchen's cold room. They are stored in the very back at the last shelf, and are in big blue, glass containers. The experiments that I have made will follow the scent of the serum and take care of the intruders."

"B-but young master –"

"Do it." Law's face darkened as he interrupted her stuttering. "Meanwhile, lock all the exits."

The maid's head bobbed nervously, her long brown hair swaying with each movement. "Y-yes, Master Law."

She then clumsily procured a small, yellow bell from her apron and rang it. She gave three high pitched notes and waited until a small, grey wind up mouse scurried from a hole at the bottom of the wall. The toy came and stopped by her feet.

"Rucio will guide you back to your bedroom for a change of clothes while I carry out your orders. He will take you in a route that will avoid dangerous hallways."

The puppet bowed before heading off in a sprint towards the holding cells. Rucio gave a squeak alerting Law to follow, and it raced down the hallway so quickly that he had to run to keep up. True to the maid's word, they didn't encounter a single soul on the way back to his bedroom, but the yells and sounds of objects breaking could be heard from a close distance.

Reaching his bedroom, he pushed the heavy double doors and entered without bothering to turn on the lights as there simply wasn't enough time. The toy mouse gave a squeak before it skittered back to a hole in the walls in the corridor, its service done. As soon as Law stepped into his room, the softness of the plush carpet brushed against the soles of his feet as he glided over to his walk-in closet located to the far right corner. He was in such a hurry, that it was a surprise he was able to hear his door creak slightly. Law whirled back around, but a strong arm hooked around his neck and he started choking. His hands immediately clawed at the limb squeezing his airway.

Mustering the strength in his legs, he launched his weight at the attacker and slammed them against the wall. The man let out a grunt, but didn't let go. Law kept struggling trying to shake the attacker off and hit his nightstand in the process. The corner of the furniture dug into his left hip and he gritted his teeth. He reached out blindly hoping to reach for something blunt. Hitting something with his fingers, his hand closed around to what felt like the long, slim body of a lamp and swung it at the man's head. The vice grip around his neck loosened, and Law pushed himself free. He gasped greedily for air, but he didn't stop hitting the man whom attacked him.

All he could see was a shadow, but he tried aiming at the head.

"Slippery bastard!"

Law let out a yell as something sharp sunk into the back of his thigh. He had been too preoccupied with his previous assailant to notice that there was more than one person hiding in the room.

Law's injured leg gave, his body stumbling to the floor. He hissed in pain clutching where he had been stabbed dropping the lamp, but he was given no time to recover. Widening his eyes to look for his second attacker, Law could see a wide shadow coming down at him from the floor with a raised hand so he kicked as hard as he could. His foot managed to land a hit pushing the shadow back, and he quickly scrambled to get up and run. He managed a few steps before his bad leg wobbled and he fell to his knees.

Knowing his room, Law could tell he was leaning against his bed, his hand pressing against the mattress for support. He tried to push himself up, but a blunt force came down at the back of his head forcing his face to bury against the sheets. Both of his hands gripped the edge of his bed as fingers dug at the back of his skull. The only thing Law could do was panic as he could hardly move. He needed to breathe, but he couldn't even turn his head.

His arms flailed hoping to find a weapon again as his knuckles hit something. There was a sharp yelp as he pushed that something aside and he felt small thumps run across the bed towards him. There was a high pitched bark right next to his ear. As if burned, his attacker viscously growled. The hand at the back of his head lifted, and he could suddenly breathe again.

* * *

It was easier than he had thought. With this much people with him, they overtook the guards who were stationed at the perimeter with overwhelming ease. The guards provided small resistance at best while they suffered close to zero casualties. There were a few minor injuries as the guards carried light firearm, but really, it went like a smooth wave as the criminals burst through the front gates and ran towards the front doors.

The heavy wood burst open as the men swarmed in like a cloud of locusts. Ecstatic yells echoed through the spacious halls as dirty feet brought dirt tracks on the reflective white floor. Shattered glass rang sharply as cabinets were smashed into. Tables were split in two and every single piece of furniture that wasn't worth taking were kicked and smashed. Among the frenzied havoc, Kid walked into the mansion with cautious steps, Zoro trailing behind him. The swordsman wielded his three swords – one on each hand, and another placed securely between his teeth. All three blades were smeared with blood which was dripping down to the hilt.

Scanning the entrance and looting men, Kid couldn't help but feel apprehensive about the cold air that blew past and escaped through the open doors behind him. He gave a clandestine glance at the tall pillars lined with gold that led up to the high ceiling. Despite the amount of noise the men were making, he could hear a low winding moan that seemed to whisper within the walls. His eyes continued roaming around.

The mansion was split into two wings – the East and the West – while a twisted, intricate staircase between the halls led to the upstairs. Most of the men that they brought with them had gone to the West wing where sculptured heads wearing jeweled necklaces decorated the walls. As soon as they saw the pedestals displaying shining stones on them, they had rushed to get their sticky hands into swiping. It was a race now to see who could take the most loot with them. Some, who were not so keen in following the large group, broke off and ran up the stairs, but very few had gone to the East wing.

"Something's wrong," Zoro's eyes were focused on the hall to their right. "Where are the guards?"

He was feeling uneasy too.

This shouldn't be _this_ easy. A government official's house should've been swarming with armed protection waiting for an attack. Based on Doflamingo's reputation, they had assumed that the man would be used to being targeted for assassination so a small army should've been stationed at his disposal – that's what a paranoid rich man would do – but so far, it seemed like living souls were scarce around this place.

"I haven't even seen a servant run off and scream," Zoro added, and that was the most worrisome part.

Sure, they could buy that Doflamingo was ill prepared for an invasion, but a mansion without servants? The diplomat wouldn't lack slave labor.

Kid's jaw tightened as he headed towards the staircase.

"I'll check upstairs," he turned to Zoro who gave him a nod.

"Then I'll stay here. Watch out for –"

The swordsman was cut off as a foul stench hit their noses. The immediate reaction was to gag, and Zoro hunched over quickly bringing his arm to cover his face. Kid gripped tightly at the railing as he was already halfway up the stairs, his stomach lurching. He pulled up the scarf around his neck to cover the bottom half of his face, but the putrid odor was too strong. It made their eyes water, and it stung to keep them open.

Cursing in their heads as they couldn't bring themselves to open their mouths, they groaned wondering where it suddenly came from. Suddenly, before they could move, a small earthquake shook the ground followed by rumbling. It sounded like a stampede of drums, but the viscous growl that ripped through the air brought a chill up their spines. A scream erupted from the East wing, and Zoro and Kid locked wide glances.

 _Guards?_ They both thought in unison.

Maybe they were underestimating Doflamingo.

Another torturous scream echoed from the same hall followed by another. After the fourth yell, a deranged cry for help came from the West wing.

"Dogs!"

"They've got dogs!"

Zoro twisted his head – a short of shrug the man gave ensuring that he'd handle the situation. Trusting him, Kid gave a moment of pause before tearing up the staircase. The sounds of a fight were left downstairs as he made it to the top. Unlike the bottom floor, Kid found himself walking on red carpet instead of white tiles. Knowing he had little time, he turned left and ran down the hall making sure to check each room. Some of them were already open, the thieves who had gotten there before him pillaging for hidden valuables, and Kid paid them no mind when he saw that the rooms were otherwise empty.

After minutes of breaking down doors, he was quickly losing his patience when all he found were libraries and broom closets.

Turning to another hall, he swore he was going to lose it when he heard muffled sounds of struggle. His feet stopped as he listened first, his brows scrunching as he looked at the only open room in the hallway. The carpet drowned the heavy thumps his boots would have made as he crept forward. From what he could deduce, a person was being outnumbered by a couple others. Kid started thinking. If those were the criminals he brought with him attacking, then the other person must be from the mansion. Unless, the thieves were fighting amongst themselves.

He pushed the door wider and peered in. It was dark, but he could clearly see a man on the floor with a broken lamp by his feet. Another man was standing over the bed as they held another at the edge of the bed. The person being held down was on their knees and had an arm behind their back as the man looming over pushed their head against the sheets. The huge window which was directly beside the bed gave enough light for Kid to see a small moving body near the pillows, but the thick curtains blocked most of the incoming rays of the sun to see much else.

There was a sharp whine, and he assumed that the wounded sound came from the animal on the bed.

 _Bear._ Kid couldn't convince himself that it could be anything else.

The man who was standing reached for something at his back, and without hesitation, Kid pulled the gun from the bandolier crossing his chest. His fingers familiarly clicked it firing a shot. The bullet went straight through the man's skull, and as if giving a violent tug, the man's body jerked to the direction of the bullet and fell.

Briskly entering the room, Kid went directly to the man on his knees. Their arms were limp and motionless as their face resumed flat against the bed. Grabbing him by the shoulders, Kid lifted the man up to see if he was still breathing. Small rises of their chests indicated that they just passed out from lack of oxygen, and a small relief washed over him. Although, it died as soon as it came because what he did wouldn't be worth it if he wasn't right in his assumption. He just killed a man. And not a guard – but a man he recruited. He wouldn't go so far as worrying too much about killing another thief like himself, but the man could've been one of Shanks' own. Starting something with the older redheaded wasn't something he wanted to do.

Gently, Kid laid the man in his arms back on the bed, but with his neck turned to the side so he could breathe. He then walked over to the window drawing the long curtains aside exposing light to the room, and his eyes dropped. The man who he had laid eagle was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Long olive legs were wet with droplets which slid along the man's skin and onto the dry sheets. A thigh was oozing a healthy stream of blood, but it wasn't too bad. The short blade pierced through the leg was keeping most of the blood from spilling so Kid left it there.

 _Was this it?_ Was this the person he was looking for? His brown eyes remained on the black tattoo covering the man's back. It had been five years, and he hardly remembered how the boy had looked like, much less the tattoo. It was just a glimpse in the dark so he could never be sure. All he knew was that the image was something circular. His eyes flickered to the man's face. A small stubble was forming at the man's chin, and he couldn't see the boy inside his head. How did he look like?

With a grunt, Kid pushed all his thoughts away and shrugged off his dark red coat. Dismissing the doubts, he wrapped the unconscious man in his clothing as he wasn't going to carry him naked. On him, the coat reached past his knees so it covered up the man quite decently. Gracelessly, he hoisted the limp body over his shoulder and was about to leave when a whine stopped him. It was the same one he heard before entering the bedroom. Kid looked back noticing the lump by the pillows move. The duvet was slowly pulled down as something from underneath crawled its way out. A small white cub popped its head and let out a high pitched howl. Its small jaws widened as far as it could go. It couldn't be more than a foot long, but it brought down its front paw in demand. The red stained fur by its ear made it look pathetic, really.

Watching the cub whine over and over again, Kid took a few steps back towards the bed before grabbing the white bear by the neck and stomping out the door.


	4. Spoils

**A/N: First off, I wish to thank everyone who has reviewed this story. All of your words have been encouraging and make my day that much better. Thank you!**

 **Secondly, there had been a question about Kid's and Law's respective ages so I will recap the events so far.**

 **In chapter one, it begins as:**

 _ **"Trafalgar Law, a thin boy of the age of ten..."**_

 _ **"A year went on like this, Law cutting pieces..."**_

 **This makes Law eleven years old.**

 **Then chapter two:**

 _ **"...although he couldn't have been any older than twelve. That was four years younger than him." (This refers to Kid)**_

 **But then I wanted to make them older so by the time Kid and Law met, Law was twelve years old. Kid was sixteen.**

 **And then, in chapter three:**

 _ **"It had been five years, and he hardly remembered how the boy had looked like, much less the tattoo." (Also Kid)**_

 **Add five from the previous chapter's ages. This would mean that Law would be seventeen, and Kid would be twenty-one by chapter three.**

* * *

 **To all my readers, please don't forget to review as it makes me so happy. Your opinions are much appreciated! You all have a lovely day!**

* * *

 _Guards._ They should have known that men didn't protect a beast's home. What Kid found when he returned downstairs was a complete massacre. The foul stench drenched the air even heavier than when he had left, and pools of blood coated every inch of the floor. Ripped flesh was scattered everywhere while silence dominated every sound. From the corner of his eyes, there was a dog like creature by the doors the size of a large wolf nuzzling its snout inside the open stomach of a headless corpse. Its black fur bristled when if felt Kid's gaze. Instantly, its massive head snapped flicking a piece of intestine in the air as it turned towards him.

Kid was caught off guard, not by the humongous, razor-edged fangs rimmed by black gums, but from the stitches running alongside the creature's mouth and eyes.

Thick thread crisscrossed its lids clamping them shut. The hound couldn't see, but it twitched its nose restlessly as if it could smell Kid's arrival even over the strong odor in the air. Before he could react, the beast sprang on its heels and Kid was tackled to the floor. Unconsciously, he turned to the side to protect the body he was carrying, and sharp pain sunk at his left shoulder. He fumbled for his gun, and if it weren't for the swift blade that swung right in front of his face, his arm would have been torn off.

Blood splattered across his face as the head of the dog was sliced from its neck. The headless body collapsed right over him, its weight crushing and trapping him until it was kicked to the side.

"What are you doing?!" Shanks was glaring above him, and Kid blinked in surprise.

The man was panting heavily as he gripped the hilt of his sword. Drops of blood dripped from the blade, but he could tell that the excessive amount of blood that Shanks was drenched in from head to toe didn't come from the hound he just killed alone. The older man gritted his teeth, and even they were stained a murky pink. Panic and agitation filled the man's usually calm eyes as he offered a hand to help Kid on his feet.

"We need to get out of here."

There was a quick glimpse at the body he was carrying over his shoulder. Confusion hit Shanks as to why the legs dangling over his chest were bare, but he didn't ask.

"C'mon," the man instead turned around to hurry towards the doors they had entered from. "There's nothing worth taking here anymore. We're setting this place on fire."

* * *

"Whore."

It was an odd feeling. Law's head was throbbing as an ache pounded at the back of his skull. He felt groggy and disoriented when he opened his eyes. Blurry images came to view, and he blinked trying to clear his sight, but it was a fight on its own to keep his lids from permanently closing. The image of a scrawny woman with long white hair and a large sharp nose came into focus, but it was a puzzle as to why he was looking at her from below.

He must've made a noise because she suddenly darted her eyes at him, her crow's feet deepening.

"You hooligans almost got yourselves killed for a _whore_."

Her nasally voice was crisp.

There was an angry snarl. Law thought it was Bepo, but when he shifted his gaze, he saw a man instead and he was slightly disappointed. Where was his cub? The bear was more vulnerable now with his new body. Bepo was nothing more than a four-month old cub ever since he had to transfer his pet's brain to a new vessel. His pet couldn't protect itself anymore. At least, not like it used to. There was an ugly feeling that slowly seeped inside him and made bile rise at his throat. He wouldn't have needed to worry if Doffy was more careful –

No. He stomped hard on that thought. It wasn't his father's fault that he made him angry for the thousandth time. He shouldn't blame his father for what happened even if all he could envision was Bepo's old body curled up dead against the floor.

With lethargic capability, the argument inside Law's head got lost. His brain could hardly hold on to anything solid for two seconds, and the old tumultuous conversation with himself about Bepo was too much at the moment. His brain continued functioning in a daze leaving him with a dull warning that something was wrong.

With a small groan, Law stared blankly at the man who stood across from the woman. His shock of red hair stood up, but a few stray strands clung against his forehead. Dirt and blood covered his scowling face and bare chest while he clutched on to the red bandage at his left shoulder. For a moment, Law wondered where all the blood came from, but another face popped up blocking his view.

The face was young with freckled cheeks slightly rounded. The tip of his nose was tinted a light blue which he found odd, but the apologetic gaze the boy gave him was more disconcerting.

"Isn't it enough you deal with prostitutes, but you have to try…"

Law was distracted from the rest of the conversation as the brunet spoke.

"Sorry," he muttered, his cheeks flushing.

The boy looked down guilty. Guilty for what, Law didn't know. He felt something slide up his body, and the boy's hands reached up to his chin to pull up a white blanket. Law tried to move findings this… this whole _thing_ unnecessary. What was even happening?

The boy shook his head as if to answer to his question.

"You need to rest."

His fingers twitched wanting to stop the brunet from leaving, but his whole body was only able to turn sluggishly to his side. The boy pulled back, his arms folded against his chest carrying something white and furry. He swore the whine he heard was Bepo's. Was he just thinking about his cub too much?

He wanted his pet, but his vision was fading, and so were the voices he heard.

"And where's that green haired brat…"

He couldn't fight it. The drowsy weight on his eyes kept pulling his lids down. It was like entering a dark tunnel, the light slowly narrowing into one small dot until it was completely pitch black.

The next time Law woke, his eyes snapped open. Sharp alertness had replaced the fogginess in his mind. His heart drummed rapidly as he stared up at a wooden ceiling. It was dark and he was not in his bedroom. He didn't recognize his surroundings as any part of the mansion.

Law quickly sat up, a white blanket falling off his chest. Sweat wasn't clinging against his body, but he felt sticky. There were heavy gasps moaning in a far off distance, and Law immediately sprang out of bed. His eyes darted around looking for any signs of danger, but he found himself all alone.

He studied the empty room all too ready to attack if something came. There was a single bed that he figured he had been laying on as the sheets had taken his form. Directly facing it was a window where most of the light was coming from, and it was shining a light grey due to the lights outside. A tattered green curtain framed the window. Other than the wooden bed, the room was bereft of any other furniture or decoration.

The emptiness of the room made him uneasy. The only reason for an undecorated room was to make the cleanup of blood easier.

Where was this place? What was the purpose of his being here? Was this part of a private torture chamber?

That was the only explanation he could come up with.

Looking for an exit, Law was curious as to why there were two doors at the opposite ends of the room. Both looked the same and had a glowing red light coming through the space above the floor. If this was some sick game, then there would be one wrong door, and one right door. The right door would let him leave with what sanity he had left, and the wrong door, in simplicity, wouldn't. He couldn't help it, but his mind jumped to thinking that this was some sort of joke that his father was behind. He wouldn't put it pass the man, but Doffy was supposed to be away. It couldn't be him. Could it?

No. It was too soon for Doffy to be in another one of his moods. Besides, the man had just left for a trip, and the blonde wouldn't be here to see Law's traumatized reaction to fully enjoy it. His father couldn't be the one orchestrating this.

Law shook the accusation away, but the thoughts of there being a "wrong" door had already been implanted in his mind. With his luck, there was no uncertainty from him that he would choose the wrong one.

The thumping against the wall continued making Law nervous. He still didn't know where he was, and why did he only have a pair of loose pants on? The clothing felt rough against his skin and he was tempted to strip them off if it weren't for the freezing temperature. Goosebumps littered is whole body as he shivered. He looked down at his bare feet and untangled them from the blanket he had dragged to the splintered floor. There was a sharp pain on his thigh when he moved causing him to limp, and then it made him remember. He had been _stabbed_. Memories came flooding back. The yelling, the blood – it all made him so confused.

Why? Why did it all happen?

Gritting his teeth through the pain, he hobbled towards the window to get some semblance as to where he was.

It was obvious he wasn't in the mansion anymore, but being kidnapped was something that was still settling in his mind.

"Harder! Harder – Ah!"

Thud.

There was a loud bang and it stopped Law in his tracks. He turned around apprehensive as to what the noise was all about. Breathy gasps grew louder, but it maintained in synch with the continuous hitting against the wall.

"You little slut!" A resounding smack abruptly silenced the moans.

Someone screamed. A jumble of noise followed afterwards, and then it was just silence. Law's brows drew together when the creaking of weight restarted, but much quieter this time. Was this place… somewhere where they tortured people they stole away? Soft sobs were muffled throughout the rhythm, but the words were clear.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

As if it was some sort of mantra, the person saying it kept on repeating the apology. Law looked away from the direction he could hear the noises from. Perhaps it was shame or bitterness that he knew that apologizing was useless. Personal experience taught him that silence was always the best way to make the pain stop. If they just kept their mouth shut, they would realize that it would all go away. There was another hard slap, and it made Law's heart race.

It was a reaction so deeply ingrained into his bones. He whirled around with palms sweating as if a malicious presence was there breathing behind his back. He was expecting to be pushed back or for something to grab his wrists and dig until he bled, but there was nothing. His eyes jumped frantically doubting the empty space that was around him. He didn't believe that he was alone.

Suddenly, there was a pressure pushing against his chest. Each passing second of expecting and nothing happening built on top of each other making the apprehension inside his stomach grow bigger and bigger until he felt like he wouldn't be able to hold it in. Was this punishment? Had he done something wrong? He could hear a chuckle which sounded like his father, but he knew he imagined the mocking laugh way too often. He couldn't trust himself to discern whether it was real or not anymore.

Had he been wrong about dismissing his father's lack of participation in all of this?

He eyed the window not quite wanting to see what was outside anymore. Law had a feeling that if this was some sort of entertainment for his dear father, then he would just see dead carcasses. With the grunts still going on at the other side of the wall and the desperate, "You're so good… You're so good so please," Law decided that he didn't want to stay in the room. He limped towards one of the doors and stepped outside to leave. He was sure that this was the door that would lead to another night of pain. If he was going to be chained up again, fine. It was better than clinging on to hope that he wouldn't.

The bright light hurt his eyes, but instead of a hallway that he expected, he had entered another bedroom.

A warm glow flickered along all four walls while a stuffy smell encased the small space. As if the cramped size of the room wasn't claustrophobic enough, there were no windows. Law looked around finding a lantern sitting on a small night stand at a corner of the room next to a bed. There was someone under the messy sheets releasing small grunts, but he couldn't see their face. Their back was towards him, their body rising and deflating slowly in deep succession. Law could see scars and ugly blotches of old wounds running along their spine. He watched them breathe, and the body curled ever so slightly. They sounded like they were in pain, and if the steel bucket at the feet of the night stand with a towel hanging at the rim indicated anything, it was that this person was sick.

Someone had been tending to them, but whomever it was that was doing so, they were gone now.

Flicking his eyes by the foot of the bed, he noticed a wide wooden chair where a pile of clothes was messily thrown. A coat was barely hanging over an arm, the sleeve dangling near the floor next to a lone boot.

There was a moment to which Law pondered if he should stay or try the other door, but there was something about the cramped room that reminded him of his lab back home. It felt intimate being alone with another living specimen, and after wanting a human subject for so long, Law didn't want to leave.

As if beckoning him, the person groaned loudly luring his attention. Law's hand gripped the doorknob as his back pressed against the door gently closing it.

No matter how much his brain was telling him that he was in danger, he couldn't pass this opportunity up. He was in awe. Doffy going after him or not, he wanted this. He wasn't dumb to even consider that this had been a present. His father was too opposed to him having human contact. This _had_ to be a punishment. He just couldn't see how, but it was.

Confusion, fear – he let all that go to enjoy himself, if only for a moment. Consequences be damned because he knew that he would be serving it later either way. He didn't care if this was the wrong door. His hands found a lock on the handle and he turned it in case someone wanted to barge in. Silently, he prayed that he would be left alone with this specimen for at least an hour or two.

His eyes trained on the mess of red hair resting against the pillows. Since the man's head was close to the lantern, the color seemed to be more brilliant than it was, but Law was absolutely drawn to it. It reminded him of that one time he had met a boy with a similar hair color. He was much smaller than the person before him, but he remembered that the boy felt good under his hands. He remembered that gruff scowl, the defiant glare, and how he was blunt on rejecting Law. He liked that stubborn resolution and how the boy was able to be so forward with him. There were no lies in his words, just truth.

The only disappointing thing about him was that he had said, _"No."_

The dismissal hurt. A lot.

But still, he'd wanted him so bad.

He still did.

A rueful smile formed on Law's face without him knowing.

Only his own deprived mind knew how much he thought about that boy. That was his first human.

Law sauntered over with the elegance and stealth of cat and stood at the side of the bed. By now, the man had started shaking, and he could see the shine of sweat glistening at his forehead. Chills were making the man's body shiver while he scrunched his face in agony. A shaky breath made it out of his lips at Law's touch when he checked for the redhead's temperature.

The man was burning.

Law bent down to soak the towel in the bucket. The water had gone cold, too much for it to feel welcome, but it would definitely cool the man down. He wrenched the cloth from excess water before folding it up and wiping the man's face with it. He might not know what sickness the man had, but he would observe.

Law repeated the process of wiping the sweat away twice before leaving the cloth over the man's forehead to rest.

There wasn't much he could do. He didn't want to risk going outside in search for more useful equipment so he sat at the edge of the bed just watching the contorting expressions the redhead made. With all the animals that he had worked with, they seemed to calm when he ran his hand behind their ear or back so Law combed his fingers through the man's hair. It was grimy and slick with oil, but it seemed to work. The man's ragged breathing eased.

Law liked this… this intimacy even though he didn't know this man, and the stranger wasn't conscious enough to know what he was doing to him. Still, the idea of keeping him as a pet popped in his mind.

Pets kept him company. He'd treat him with care. It shouldn't be complicated.

Law continued his ministrations as he gazed at the man's flushed face. He wondered if the boy in his mind would have grown to look like him with angular jaws and a big muscular body. It wasn't that much of a stretch as the boy had been physically fit, and they shared the same see through complexion. The man was much paler than he should be, but he knew that the thick blue veins running along his neck and down his chest would still be visible even if the redhead wasn't ill. Law's gaze traveled down to the exposed chest and slid his hand from the man's scalp and down to the bulky abs. There were scars here too like his back. The different shades of brown ruined the otherwise milky skin, but Law thought it was perfect.

He traced a line at the man's ribcage where the redhead had remnants of stitches and thought that if he had done the job, there wouldn't have been a mark. Not that he minded being able to explore all the old wounds. He just knew that his skills were above par to leave such scars in the first place. His curious eyes continued searching for other signs of injury. It was an odd thing to be hung up on, but he wanted to know how many times he could have done a better patch up treatment than what the man had been given.

The bandage at the man's left shoulder was conspicuous, of course. It was seeped with dried blood and looked to be a big wound. Not to mention, it was fresh. It was a source of concern because it could be the man's reason of illness. Maybe it held an infection. The purple skin surrounding the white cloth was definitely a sign. Law reached over to take a look, but as soon as he touched the wound, the redhead suddenly jolted and let out a scream of pain.

Fast reflexes and hundreds of operations gone wrong made Law keep from jumping at the sudden outburst. He tried to calm the man down, but it escalated to the redhead thrashing violently.

A pang of fear coursed through him from the thought that someone would hear the loud yells and come into the room. Law quickly found himself swinging his legs over the bed and straddling the redhead as he pushed with all his weight to keep the man from falling off the bed. The redhead kept kicking in his delirium until the blanket made its way to the floor.

If only Law had his sedatives, then the man would be easier to settle down.

He sloppily covered the man's mouth with a palm, but he was roughly shoved back. There was an angry hand at his shoulders, and without warning, his vision swirled. Law's back hit the mattress as their positions reversed. A vice grip crushed his wrist above his head as he was pinned down. Red strands of hair pressed against his nose and he could smell a salty musk. A steady arm moved by his side as the man slowly held himself up, and soon, he was face to face with an awake human.

The dark eyes were glazed telling him that the man was barely there, but Law knew not to make any sudden movements.

Hot clouds blew at his neck as the man's breathing had turned labored from the small fight. Neither of them moved from their positions. Maybe the man would tire himself out in a few minutes from just straddling him, but Law didn't fancy himself being pinned under a volatile animal for longer than needed. He flinched from the bone crushing pain at his wrist. He should probably try to make it out of this with the least amount of damage to himself.

Cautiously, as if asking for permission, he moved his arm that wasn't being held down. Brown eyes never left his grey ones as he gently placed a hand on the man's cheek and stroked the blushes of pink coloring the pale skin. His thumb brushed under the red lashes again and again. After a few assuring touches, the man's lids began to close. The angry expression twisting his face softened, and the vice grip on Law's wrist loosened. He brushed the stray strands of hair sticking to man's face as the redhead drooped his head against his palm.

A soft smile perched on his lips as the man calmed with his touch, but he wasn't expecting for the man's arms to suddenly give. As if loosing all his strength, the redhead's body came crushing down in a collapse on top of his poor lungs. Law coughed for air. He looked down and saw that the redhead's eyes were closed now, and he didn't stir. It seemed that the redhead had fainted from exhaustion.

Law sighed.

He was relieved that the man didn't want to kill him anymore, but now he was stuck. The towel that he had placed against the man's forehead had disappeared somewhere during their scuffle and he could feel the man's face buried against his neck. The warm air he breathed out sent an odd sensation running across his skin. Since neither of them had anything on other than a pair of pants, their bare chests pressed against each other as the silence stretched.

It was uncomfortable how hot the man's body was. His temperature was still high, but Law didn't have much choice but just lay there. He was afraid that if he tried touching the man again, he would wake and fall into another frenzied panic.

Law kept his hands to himself with nothing to do, but stare at the ceiling. The shadows of the room danced with no story. The flame from the lantern was slowly getting dimmer, and soon the light would be gone. The disappearance of the flame made him think about his own life disappearing in a blink of an eye. He wondered if he would die like this, but it wasn't a macabre thought. His death was something he always thought about when he had nothing else to entertain himself with. Out of all the scenarios he had come up with, somehow, going while being crushed under a nice warmth was by far one of the least gruesome.

Law blinked.

When had the sweaty heat turn into a relaxing warmth? The man's body was like a blanket which wrapped around him and protected him from the cold. Law realized that he wasn't freezing anymore. His feet were still a little chilly though. He lolled his head to the side. He hoped that he wasn't accepting the fact that he may die in this position. Although, if he did, then he wouldn't have to deal with anything anymore.

No more pain, no more hope, no more desire for freedom because it would never happen.

Law sighed and the man's chest pushed against him. It was as if every time he took a breath, the redhead took a breath also causing their chests to press against each other. Maybe the redhead could read minds. This unconscious action of his made it harder for Law's lungs to fill with air. He concluded that the man was subtly trying to kill him. He would have labeled this as unconscious bloodlust, but the steady, innocent heartbeat pounding between them made it tone down to unintentional sadism.

Law's arm that had been caught between their bodies and couldn't move was starting to get stiff, and the other arm that had been pinned above his head was starting to hurt from lack of blood flow. To make matters worse, the redhead shifted and dug a hand under Law's back at an uncomfortable place. It was right under his shoulder, and the man's knuckles felt like jagged rocks.

If this man didn't remind him so much of the boy he had fantasized about so often, then Law would have shoved him off on the cold hard floor.

Law hummed as a thought hit him. What would happen once the man woke? He could imagine that it wouldn't be the same reaction that Bepo had whenever the bear slept on his chest without meaning to. It wouldn't be a lick to the nose that he would be greeted with.

If he wasn't going to die from suffocation by the end of the night, then the man would beat him to death or stab him in the guts come morning when he wakes. That would be his own reaction to finding that he had been sleeping with something strange.

Law didn't see any weapons laying around when he scanned the room, but he would be a fool to assume that there weren't any hidden somewhere.

He strained his neck to look up and laid his eyes on the nightstand. The drawers were an easy place for safekeeping many convenient objects. He had to stretch a bit, but he was able to reach the knob on the top drawer and open it. His hand dipped inside and rummaged around. He grabbed whatever was inside and brought it up above his head to see. In his hand was a very small dagger that was maybe five inches in length, and something else that was small and shiny.

Law lifted his forefinger which was covering the small object. It was gold and red, and before the flame of the candle completely went out, his throat closed.

It was a ring.


End file.
